Action zone girdle



United States Patent [72] Inventor Louise'M-Tenuzialt [56] References cit d A I N ga'k 'k UNlTED STATES PATENTS P 750,187 1/1904 Gugenheim etal 2/226 [22] Filed Nov. 9, I967 2,235,499 3/1941 l-l111er,.. 128/524 [45] Patented Nov. 24, 1970 [73] Assi nee sm In 3,015,334 1/1962 Kaupp- 128/542 8 3,080,869 3/1963 Alberts. 128/542 Dover, Delaware ammuuon Delaware 3,130,730 4/1964 Zanca 128/524 3,221,749 12/1965 Marino..... 128/528 3,245,410 4/1966 Martin.. 128/556 3,386,446 6/1968 Sloan 1281528 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 1 123 fi li 4,327 9/1883 Great Britain 128/525 ch a: as. Primary Examiner-Adele M. Eager [52] U5. 2 Attorney-Steward. Fried 128/54l,128/556 [51] lnt.CI I I j A4lc l/00 [50] Field of Search .Q 128/524- ABSTRACT: This is an undergarment that encircles the lower -528, 529, 540, 541, 54 7, 556, 539, 542, 580; torso of thebody and has easier stretchability in a zone which lies along the natural crease lines of the body of the wearer.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,033

Sheet 1 012 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 j 3,542,033

Sheet of 2 ACTION zonsornnu; I

This invention is an improvedgirdle in which a relatively narrow action" lying along the natural crease lines of the wearers body is capable of stretching vertically more easily than the portions of the girdle which are higher and lower than the action zone. I

It is a matter of record that the female form of the human species is enhanced in appearance by girdles that are constructed with'areas of littlestretchability and areas of more stretchability. Difficulties are encountered indoing this however because certain parts of the body require morerestriction than others and because" different parts of thebody elongate more thaniothers; as for example the area from the back waist I down to the buttocks when the wearer sits.

Pan-ty. girdles in particular are subject tosuch difficulties because of theneed for greater control and less'movement in the torso-encircling part and for relatively less control and more ease of movement in the Iegparts of the girdle. I

The present invention provides the desired combination of pendently without placing undue stress on the 'other leg or on the upper part of the girdle. As the wearer moves about or engages in 'exertive, movement the generated stresses are generally responded to first by the action .zone and this minimizes the tendency'of the upper or lower part of the girdle to become displaced. In, a conventional girdle the upper and lower parts are usuallyintegral with each other and movement of one willcausemovement in'the other. Thus stress which lowers the backwaistline of aconventional gird'lewill also often cause the bottom partto-rnoye up. This undesirable ver tical'displacer'nentof the'top and bcttom edges of'the girdIe is minimized by may invention which tends to keep the top-part from c omingdown' and the bottom part from coming up. The ability of my new girdle to resist such displacement contributes to the comfort of'the wearer. The uppermore'restrictive part of the'girdle can be made o conventionahmaterialsand follow conventional practice.- It can have front, back and side panelsof varying stretch characteristics asis known in the girdle art. The Iowerpart of the girdle can also be conventional and can take shape as the legs of a panty girdle'or as the lowermostpa'rt of an open bottom girdle. The materials of which thegirdlei'can be made include stretchable fabrics whether basedon elastomers or not, and elastomeric substances per se'such as dipped latex, sheet rubber, etc. and their equivalents, and in fact any material which is conventionally used in'the manufacture of girdles.

The action zone of my new girdle canbea-material ofany kind so long as it hast'he desired characteristics. It can be cloth that-is woven, knit, or made .on aJacquard bobbinette 'machi'ne- Examples of suitable cloth materials include I net and similar elastomeri cfm'aterials may also be used. Action zone material having all-way stretch is generally most satisfactory. One suitable fabric is spandex mesh fabric having elastomeric' threads running in one direction only and which will elongate and recoverin both directions.

By easier stretchability Imean the action zone material will stretch'vertically firstbefore the upper and lower parts of the girdle when it is subjected to a vertically directed stretching force. It should be noted that generally the'a'ction zone will stretch in the circumferential direction just about as easily asthe adjacent upper and lower parts of the girdle. This is necessary of course for the garment to be a proper girdle. It is in the vertical stretch direction that the action zone material differs most greatly, Easier stretchability can be determined by measuring the arnount of force needed to elongate the material to a given distance. Where one piece of cloth requires a force of about 3 lbs. to elongate it 60 percent of its original length and a second piece of cloth requires about 3% lbs. for the same elongation, the first piece obviously" is the easierone to stretch. I

The action zone should be positioned in a particular way. It should Iie along the natural crease lines between the legs and the trunk, of the wearer in the front, which may be referred to as the groin lines, and under the buttocks of the wearer in the rear. These appear to be movement areas where stresses generated by body movements readily show up in a girdle. By

. making the action zone from material that is most easily stretchable the other parts of the girdle are spared from the major effects of the bodys movements. The girdle accordingly can follow the movements of the body within a minimum of displacement and with a minimum of creasing and wrinkling.

The action, zone does not need to be very wide and is generally narrower than either of the upper and lower parts of the girdle. A width of from about Va inch to about 3 inches is sufficient for most purposes and this width can vary in different places depending for example on the amount of give or stretch one wants to provide in particular areas. For instance theactio'n zone can be more narrow in the area where it crosses theside of the. girdle and wider underneath the buttocks and in the groin line. The holding power of the action zone material should of course be sufficient to prevent bulging out of the flesh in the action zone. In a net material made of spandex and which has its threads spaced relatively far apart, the holding power can be obtained for example by making the elastomeric threads heavier and thicker than they normally are in more closely constructed fabrics such as are. used in the upper and lower parts of the girdle.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention and are to be considered asillustrative and not limitative of my'invention. I v FIG. 1 isa three-quarter front perspective view of a panty girdle embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a three-quarter rear perspective view of the panty girdleof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing the panty girdle of 'FIG. 1 after the wearer has placed her left leg forward in a striding position and shows in the dotted circles the variations in the action zone material.

FIG. 4 is a three-quarter rear perspective view showing the pantyg'irdle of FIG. 1 while the wearer is bending forward.

FIG. 5 is a viewlookingupward at the crotch area of a panty girdle embodying my invention.

FIG. 6 is a three-quarter front perspective view of an open bottom girdle embodying my invention.

FIG. 7 is a three-quarter rear perspective view of the girdle of'FIG 6.

The panty girdle 20 shown in FIG. 1 has an upper body encircling portion 22 and a lower portion comprising legs 24 and 26. Front panel 23 is stretchable in the vertical direction only.

' Crotch part 28 is stretchable from front to back and is made of soft material such as jersey or nylon tricot fabric. The material of the upper portion 22 may be a two-way stretch spandex cloth such as power net. The legs may also be fashioned of this fabric. The girdle may have a waistband and circumferentially elastic leg bands which encircle the legs. AS previously noted the girdle in general can be made of conventional materials and follow-conventional practice and for this reason it is not deemed necessary to describe the girdle of FIG. 1 in more detail as to its conventional aspects. The lines of stitching which connect the various parts together have been omitted in order to make the presentation of the invention as simple as possible. It is to be understood however that such stitching is used in actual girdle specimens embodying the invention.

The FIGS. show that action zone 36 separates right leg 24 from the upper portion 22 and action zone 38 separates left leg 26 from the upper portion 22. These action zones are novel. Each may be considered as starting from the crotch region. extending in the front along the groin line outwardly and upwardly to a height in the side area at about where the femur bone of the wearer connects to the pelvis, then across the sidev and downwardly in the rear to just below one buttock, then horizontally beneath the buttock to the perineal region, then forwardly along the perineal region to the starting point. Each action zone is an endless band that forms a leg encircling zone. It is attached to the top edge of the leg part and the bottom edge of the adjacent upper body-encircling portion so that the leg part is not directly joined to the upper portion of the girdle at any point. This arrangement may be considered as providing a floating leg construction in which each leg is capable of independent motion without unduly affecting the upper part of the girdle and vice versa. This is particularly advantageous where the leg is made with a single layer of cloth and the upper part of the girdle is made with multiple layers and where the difference in stretchability between the parts is pronounced. The action zones can advantageously be made of spandex allway stretch mesh fabric with open areas that are relatively uniform in size and spacing. The open network structure of such fabric allows of itself a certain amount of stretch regardless of whether the material is made of elastomeric components or not since each individual geometric FIG. formed by the threads can bend and twist quite easily. The open network also allows easier passage of air and water vapor and provides a cooler girdle.

The crotch piece 28 is elongated in shape. One end is sewn to the front of the upper body-encircling portion 22 and its other end is sewn to the rear part of the body portion 22. As is evident'from FIG. each side of the crotch piece 28 is adjacent to and attached to an edge of one action zone. The crotch piece is accordingly not directly joined to either leg part 24 or 26 at any point. The action zones are the sole connecting means between the legs'and the rest of the girdle. This arrangement provides in effect a floating crotch piece which adds to the comfort of the wearer. The open construction has a further advantage in providing increased ventilation in the crotch area.

FIG. 3 is an example of how the action zone works. In this FIG. the wearer has taken a step forward with the left leg. The right action zone 36 has stretched quite noticeably in its lower front area as is apparent'from its increased width in that locality and as shown in some detail in the enlarged fragmentary view. The left action zone 38 on the other side has contracted in the lower front as is evident from the compacted appearance of the action zone material in that area as depicted by the enlarged fragmentary view. Stresses applied to the panty girdle by the body in taking a step forward with the left leg are greatly absorbed by the stretching of the right action zone 36. Action zone 38 on the left has also reacted by contracting its width. The action zones thus stretch and expand in 'the areas where the stresses are augmented and contract in the areas where the stresses are reduced.

FIG. 4 is a further illustration of the way in which the action zones minimize the tendency of the girdle to become displaced from its original position. This FIG. shows a wearer bending forward. Action zones 36 and 38 respond to the imposed stresses by widening considerably in the rear. The'forward parts of these action zones do not have nearly the amount of stress placed on them and consequently their original width remains practically the same. The stretched, expanded parts of action zone 36 and 38 dissipate a great deal of the force which would otherwise tend to displace the bottom edges of the legs of the girdle upwardly and the top edge of the girdle downwardly.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show my invention as embodied in an open bottom girdle. The girdle 50 has an upper part 52 which extends from the waist down to where the action zone 54 begins. It has a vertically stretchable front panel 53. The action zone 54 is about one-half inch in width. It is connected along its bottom edge to the top edge of the lower part 56 by any kind of stitching, such as zigzag, which does not interfere with the stretchability of the girdle. The lower part 56 of the girdle has the usual garters 58 in the front and garters 60 in the rear for supporting the stockings.

The action zone 54 in this open bottom girdle comprises a narrow, endless band of spandex mesh which is about 56 inch wide and more stretchable than either upper part 52 or lower part 56, both of which can be power net elastic fabric. In the front of the girdle the action zone is located so as to follow a line which may be considered to start at the bottom edge of the girdle at about the vertical midline. The action zone extends along the groin line outwardly and upwardly on one side at about the height where the femur bone of the leg is connected to the pelvis. The action zone then crosses the side and slants downwardly to the rear where it runs below both buttocks in an essentially horizontal line. After passing under the buttocks it rises upwardly along the other side to a height which corresponds to that part at about where the femur bone of the other leg is connected to the pelvis, and then across the side and downwardly in the front along the other groin line to the starting point.

The action zone 54 effectively separates the girdle into an upper part 52 with more holding power than the lower part 56 and acts to dissipate forces in the same way as the action zones in the panty girdle. Where the force engenders an elongation of the girdle, the action zone does the elongating first and spares the upper and lower parts from undue stretching. Where the force fosters a contraction in another portion of the girdle, the action zone contracts and allows the other parts of the girdle to remain essentially undisturbed.

It should be understood that benefits of the invention may be obtained in girdles where the action zone substantially separates the upper portion of the girdle from the lower and is not itself circumferentially complete. For example a girdle that has my action zone construction in the groin lines in the front and under the buttocks in the rear, but lacking it in the side areas, will function and such variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims. It is to be understood however that it is more advantageous for the action zone to be circumferentially complete as hereinbefore described.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Iclaim:

1. An undergarment for encircling the lower part of the torso comprising:

a first part which encircles the front, rear and side areas between at least the'region defined by the waist and a portion of the hips;

a second part which encircles at least a portion of the thighs;

at least one of said parts having the ability to elongate and recover in at least one direction;

and a third part which acts as an action zone and which substantially separates said first and second parts from each other;

said action zone undergarment overlying the body at least in an area where the femur bone connects with the pelvis. and having the ability to stretch and recover at least in the vertical direction and a greater ability to stretch in the vertical direction than said first and second parts; and

said action zone substantially encircling the body and extending circumferentially across the front of said garment along a line which lies along the groin area; angularly laterally along the side areas of said garment and rearwardly along a line below and substantially in juxtaposition to the buttocks when on the wearer.

2. An undergarment according to claim 1 in which the action zone is circumferential complete and entirely separates said first part of the undergarment from said second part.

3. An undergarment according to claim 2 in which said action zone crosses the side area of the undergarment at about the height where the femur bone connects with the pelvis.

4. An undergarment as'claimed in claim 1 wherein said ac- I tion zone varies in width along selected areas thereof.

5. An undergarment as claimed in claim 4 wherein said width variation is in the order of about one-eighth of an inch ferentially along a major portion of its extend and wherein said action zone Stretches-and recovers in the circumferential direction at least as easily as the portions of said first and second parts adjacent said action zone. v 7. An undergarrnent as claimedin claim 1 wherein said action zone is an open netlike material.

8. An undergarment as claimed-in claim 7 wherein said first and second parts are formed of openwork materials having the ability to stretch and recover in at least onejdirection and the openings in-sai d action zone are larger than the openings in said openwork materials.

9. An undergarment as claimed in claim 7 .wherein said action zone is an all-way, stretch mesh fabric.

10. An undergarment as'claimed in claim 1 wherein said undergarment is an open girdle.

i 11. An undergarment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said undergarment is a panty girdle, and said second part includes .two leg encircling areas;

12. An undergarmen'tas claimed inclaim 11 further including a crotch piece,.said crotch piece being-connected along its side edge to said action zone with said'actionz'one spacing said crotch piece apart from each of said leg encircling areas. 13. An undergarment as claimed in claim '1' wherein: said first part includes; a front panel adapted to vertically elongate and recover; and laterally extending side panels adapted to elongate and recover in substantially all directions; said side panels joined along a vertical medial line at the rear of said undcrgarment;

said second part includes two leg encircling areas, each of said leg encircling areas adapted to elongate and recover in substantially all directions;

said third part defining said action zone is adapted to elongate and return in substantially all directions, with the ability to elongate in the vertical direction greater in said action zone than in said first and second parts and the ability to elongate horizontally substantially equal to the elongation of adjacent portions of said first and second parts;

said action zone crossing the side area of said undergarment at about the height where the femur bone connects with a pair of leg encircling portions; a crotch portion wherein said crotch portion is spaced apart from each of said leg encircling portions by a meshlike stretchable material having the ability to enlongate and recover in substantially .all directions; said meshlike material joinedalong one of its edges to an edge of said crotch portion and along its other edge to its associated leg encircling portions; and said meshlike material extending completely circumferentially about its respective leg portions. 

